Congratulation Class of 2016

Last Saturday was the day when the moment we
had waited for so long since the day we first set foot at our beloved school,
finally arrived.

It felt as something so far away but at the
same time… happened so quickly.

16 years of living, breathing, walking, talking
and studying with the same people came to an end, marking the very first check
on our list of life achievements and a milestone of the beginning of a new era
called ADULTHOOD. But you know what? I still can’t believe it.

I couldn’t really sleep on Friday. Between the
fear and excitement that had kept me going the entire week between parties,
cocktails and certificate deliveries and that little hint of nostalgia that
comes with the emotional hangover implied in saying goodbye.

I woke up a little earlier than usual, brushed
my teeth, showered and made myself ready for the important event… My last one
as a high school student. The
entire trip to the venue was more like an unplanned trip down to memory lane. Ironically
enough, I even sat there in the car, looking through the window – Very The
Notebook alike- while remembering...

I thought about myself and how much I’ve
changed over the years.

I thought about my dorky looks, the braces, the
mushroom haircut, the acne, the fashion stage where

I thought that being chic
meant wearing nothing but crazy things to school… And believe me, I did make quite a few statements hahah

I wore big bows, high-waisted shorts, before they were even considered cool
and the trendiest things you can think of only people in magazines used to wear. I had
my rocker stage, the overdressed one and so on. But that’s just physically
speaking, I changed a great deal mentally as well. I became someone who
despises hypocritical behaviour, I learned the hard way to stick to MY BUSINESS
and values. I learned that being popular and loved are two different sides of a
story, and that I’m much more comfortable enjoying real friends than a group of
people whose presence is only noted at parties. I remembered my teachers, the
odd ones, the smelly ones, the ones I found most scary or too tough; the ones
who left and the ones who became friends. I thought about the mischiefs we
managed in class and the people who were my accomplices in and out of the
classroom. I remembered every single one of the projects we ended up doing at
2am in the morning, because A) we procrastinated until the last minute B)
“working” at your friends house or Starbucks never meant working but a 7 hour session
of gossip.(Let’s be completely honest here!)

I remembered the times we went to
grab a cold beer after a test and all the time we spent at the same coffee shop
after class just for the sake of spending time together.

And the stress…. OH MY GOD, REMEMBER THE STRESS?!?!
of having to study for every single tortuous exam WHILE trying to figure out in
the meantime what the unknown future would hold? Were we’d be..? And what we’d
do outside of the protective walls of our school?

Last but not least, I thought about
my fellow seniors.

Most of them, people whom I’ve known since kindergarten.
People whom I’ve seen in their highs and lows, their dorky stages, heartbreaks,
moments of lucidity, parties and finally entering maturity (and growing into
some fine looking peeps truth be told) I can’t believe they are growing up,
(Knowing the things I know hahaha) but aside from that, I find impressive the
beautiful friendships I’ve founded. I’m one of those melancholic souls that
mesmerizes itself with our capacity to love and care for someone, in a way so
deep, that we just connect. However, I consider myself even luckier by knowing
that this people feel the same about me. Love is simply defined by a desire to
be close. It’s cool to find “friends” at a party and have fun, but it’s even
cooler to make and effort to go and have brunch with them the next morning (hangover)
solely for the purpose of seeing them. Or grab a coffee or simply make a phone
call to hear their voice. That’s probably what I’m going to miss the most. I
should thank my parents, teachers and school for preparing me for the next part
of my life. For making me create a habit of work and dedication to fulfil my
goals. But I need to thank my friends for letting me discover what it is to
trust and love someone unconditionally. I’d like to make a toast for all the
stupid inner jokes (Helado p, potasio, estoy cansada, ¿café?, llamas a mi),
crushes, dates, kisses and disappointments that in the end became nothing but
funny stories to tell at our gatherings.

Another one, for my first shot with
you, and all the other ones we drank for ABSOLUTELY no reason but were always able to find an
excuse. "Because it was my birthday" "Because it’s our song"
"Because you haven’t drank one with me… yet" There’s always an excuse
to celebrate something.

Thanks for teaching me that.

Thanks for teaching me to take
myself and life a little less seriously and #yolo a little more.

Now, every time I drive next to the
football field I’ll remember the blood, sweat and tears we shed organizing the
Oktoberfest. And the next time I get through the school gate, I’ll feel an inevitable
pain knowing that those times are over, because now I’m just an honorary member
of that place.

I’m grateful for the good, which is
worth remembering, and the bad that made me grow.

For you, my friends made along
the way. (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)

Friends who accept me for the
weird, fashion loving, crazy dancer, intense, corny, complicated person that I
am. Thanks for having my back and telling me what I need to hear, even if it’s
harsh.

I’d like to thank my parents too, because despite everything, they’ve ALWAYS BEEN THERE. EVERY. SINGLE. STEP OF THE WAY. Seriously, there’s no words to describe how lucky and loved
I feel for having them by my side.

The moment I’ve feared for months
has finally come. I’m no longer seeing familiar faces daily and the fact that life will lead us to different paths is finally sinking in. Nevertheless, I hope that we’ll be able to
make a little time to grab lunch and catch up. And that with the ones who
leave, a regular face-timing session becomes tradition.

A few months back I wrote this: Without farewell there wouldn't be the joy of
a reunion to rememorize everything we've been true. I really hope that each one
of these makes justice to the great times we are leaving behind.